Mission Of This Blog

The overall mission statement of this blog is to share many unique topics of this blogger's interest. Topics include (but are not limited to):Southern Cultural Heritage,Local History of the South Carolina Upstate,Confederate Heritage Preservation & Awareness,Americana,Nature & Wildlife Preservation,Science & Science Fiction,Astronomy & Night Sky Photography,Literacy & Writing,Travel & Local Places Of Interest, Southern Cuisine, Popular Culture & Philosophy, Classic Animation Nostalgia,Fandom....as well as various other topics explained from the blogger's point of view. The following website contains theUNCENSOREDthoughts and opinions of a Southern-born country writer from upstate South Carolina - the living, beating heart of the great American Southland!

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in
which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last
time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and
waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face
of God."

I was nine years old and home from school on the morning of January 28, 1986. I was playing a game of some sort with my sister in the family living room when my dad came into the room stunned and told everyone present that the space shuttle Challenger exploded on television.

I remember feeling a little bit of cold in my stomach at the news. My grandparents quickly turned on the television set to the breaking news story. One of the reasons that me and my sister were home that day was school being let out for teachers work day, and the launch of the space shuttle mission - which was to have included what should have been the first civilian school teacher into orbit. In fact, I recall that we were assigned homework to write a report on the launch.

My sister, Olivia, was in probably worse shock than I was over the news. She was in complete denial at the time that the crew died in the explosion (later it would be learned that the crew did in fact survive for a short time following the breakup of the shuttle). I will never forget my teary-eyed seven year old sister saying, "No, teachers can't die! They're teachers!" I too was somewhat disillusioned to learn at such a young age that teachers were not invincible. To me educators were tough - and at times grumpy - people, but regardless people who seemed to be above concepts like being moral human beings.

Even as a child, the words Reagan spoke about the importance of the space program and the crew of the space shuttle and others before them as the first pioneers into the next great frontier for humanity stuck with me. He spoke of the tragedy, of the dedication of the men and women lost in the disaster, and quoted from the poem High Flight by John Gillespie McGee Jr. He also reaffirmed that mankind would continue to move forward to conquer space.

The loss of the seven crew members was a shock to the nation, and would delay the US space program for several years. Yet just as the past sacrifices of the first great pioneers of space travel inspired those seven brave American men and women; the memory of the sacrifices made by the crew of the Challenger lives on today in the dedication of those who continue to serve as astronauts, technicians and engineers designing the crafts that will someday take humanity beyond our pale blue dot and into the solar system, and possibly beyond in some distant day.

This blog post is dedicated to the honored memories and sacrifices of those pioneers of humanity's space program tragically killed while helping to advance humanity's scientific knowledge of the universe. Their noble sacrifices to that service will be remembered as human pioneers continue our march into space in the decades, centuries, and possibly the millennium to come.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

On Saturday, January 16, I had the honor to attend the annual Lee-Jackson Day Services and Parade in Lexington, Virginia.

Lee-Jackson Day is a holiday recognized across many US states in the American Southland. The
holiday is celebrated in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. In Texas, it
is known as "Confederate Heroes Day." Lee-Jackson Day is honored as an official State holiday in the State of Virginia.

In 1983, the holiday was merged with the new Federal holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, as Lee-Jackson-King Day in Virginia. In 2000, Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore proposed splitting Lee-Jackson-King Day into two separate holidays
after debate arose over whether the nature of the holiday which
simultaneously celebrated the lives of Confederate generals and a civil rights icon was incongruous. The measure was approved and the two holidays are now celebrated separately.

Lee-Jackson Day has been honored in Lexington since the late 19th century. The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), the United Confederate Veterans
(UCV), and the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) have sponsored events
to honor Lee and Jackson in Lexington. It seems only befitting that
various celebrations and events have been held to honor the birthdays of
the generals in their final home and resting place: Jackson is buried
in Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery near
the Virginia Military Institute where Jackson taught before the War
Between The States (1861- 1865) and Lee is buried in a family crypt
beneath Lee Memorial Chapel on the grounds of Washington and Lee University. Today the event is held near the state holiday and sponsored by the Stonewall Brigade Camp #1296 Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The trip to Lexington was one long monsoon the whole way from South Carolina. Luckily I had my music CDs and movie soundtracks to keep me occupied the whole trip. Still the sight of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia, even in the rain, never fails to marvel this Sandlapper from upstate South Carolina.

I found a small hotel near Natural Bridge, Virginia a few miles outside of Lexington and stayed the night. Thankfully it stopped raining close to midnight and the temperature did not drop very low as it had in previous visits to Virginia for Lee-Jackson Day.

The next morning I woke just in time to get an outstanding shot of the sunrise coming over the Appalachians.

Good Morning Lee-Jackson Day!

Then I made my way to the lovely historic town of Lexington, Virginia where I parked my car in a nearby parking garage. I then put on the Confederate gray uniform that I wear for these occasions out of respect for my Confederate ancestor and made my way to Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery.

There I ran into several friends and fellow Confederate descendants that I know from social media, and others that I had great pleasure in meeting for the first time in person beneath the gravesite of Lieutenant General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson CSA and his family. The annual memorial service and parade draws Confederate descendants from all over the American Southland.

The Lee-Jackson Day service began with a procession of color bearers and living history reenactors marching in and lining up to the left of the Jackson family plot. Following opening prayers and the story of the Jackson grave, members of the Virginia Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), Military Order of the Stars & Bars (MOSB), and Order of the Confederate Rose (OCR) placed over a dozen flowered wreaths at the foot of the grave.

Following this the Confederate reenactors of the 5th Virginia Infantry fired a three volley salute to Jackson and the other Confederate veterans buried in the cemetery. Then the assembled group sang Dixie and recited in unison the Lord's Prayer, after which there was a closing prayer and the assembled group was dismissed to prepare for the parade through downtown Lexington.

I am pleased to report that this year the number of people who stood to watch the parade and cheer those assembled was double what it was the previous year - in large part due to the somewhat milder weather. Several cadets from the nearby Virginia Military Institute where Jackson once served as a teacher prior to the War Between The States and some students from Washington and Lee University came by to pay respect to their Confederate heritage and Southern identity.

Overall
it was a great trip and I managed to make the nearly 300 mile drive
home before sunset. God truly blessed this day with good weather and the
living descendants of the Confederate soldier again conducted
themselves with honor in the city Lexington. God bless them and the good
people of Lexington who likewise conducted themselves with honor.Till next year, God willing.

Yours truly standing in uniform with the Army of Norther Virginia battle flag of the type carried by my Confederate ancestor, a member of the 48th Alabama Infantry Regiment. The black rosette ribbon on my right shoulder has a button of the type my great-great-grandfather - on my dad's side - would have worn on his own uniform coat. I am always honored to represent him.

Ariel drone view of the memorial service at Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery.

Here is a photo of the front of the Lee-Jackson Day parade provided by my friend Miss Judy Smith. I was nearly halfway in the back on the left side.

The Stonewall Jackson House where he lived while he taught as a professor at VMI.

Author of several short science-fiction/fantasy stories and celebrated fanfiction author for various cartoon series and science fiction series, Mr. Roden has written over 40 stories under various pseudonyms; best noted for writing the award-winning Hey Arnold! fanfiction story:Arnold's Couch Confessionsin 2003.

Mr. Roden is currently working on his first full-length science fiction-fantasy novel, as well as several other writing projects.

He is a resident of Chester County, South Carolina, USA. (Profile written by: N. McRae - with love.)

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